Testimonials - Workshops

"Dear Hagit and Uri,I just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you for the amazing three days we all spent together. It was so satisfying on every level, and I think that you both work in such a very special way together. It was such a joy for me and I am sure for all of us. I can’t wait for our next meeting."- Frank Cohen, Principal Clarinetist, Cleveland Orchestra

"Dear Hagit & Uri,On behalf of the Israel Feldenkrais Guild I would like to thank you again for the amazing workshops in Tel Aviv and Haifa. I hope that we will continue to collaborate in the future."- Ramona Dekel, Chairperson, Israel Feldenkrais Guild

"Dear Hagit and Uri,I wanted time to stop so I could try to take in the enormous impact of our time together. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you so much for your generous spirits. I am so very grateful."- Laura Deming, Cellist, Chicago Lyric Opera

"Of the countless strengths, the one that sticks out for me is how Uri & Hagit embody the content/material of the workshop. They live what they are teaching, I got the feeling that they never imposed the material, they presented it in such a way that allowed me to investigate & discover when I was ready. As I am writing this, I am understanding when they say " I know nothing. I have nothing to teach" ; "What is the taste of Mango?"; "Internal knowing"- Participant, 2012 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"The warm environment created by Uri, Hagit, and Cathy & helpers. It was supportive and perfectly matched to what we were learning. Lessons, FI's & Uri's masterclasses really helped tie in cello playing to Feldenkrais, solidifying and clarifying ideas planted during discussions & ATMs. Check-up discussions and the "Wishes" talks were also wonderful for regrouping and opening dialogues between us, and the opening day party was also wonderful! "-Participant, 2012 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"I got much more out of the experience than I ever thought I would -- It was wonderful to have the time and space to reconsider the mental, physical & spiritual aspects of my playing. I feel like I have improved by leaps and bounds and that I'll still be processing all the info for many years."- Participant, 2012 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"I enjoyed Uri and Hagit’s lessons, masterclasses, ATMs, and how well they fit together. The whole approach was a big change for me in how I think about using my body."- Participant, 2013 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"The joy of music making, the many nuances of music-making that I had never dreamed of , and the way Uri connects Feldenkrrais with music were all eye-opening experience for me."- Participant, 2013 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"I enjoyed the generosity of spirit, the insightfulness & commitment of the teachers, the beautiful noncompetitive spirit of the students, the unity of body & spirit."- Participant, 2013 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"The focus on well being and how to bring more of ourselves into our music making was very powerful. I enjoyed the variety of subjects and the interconnection to cello playing and life in general."- Participant, 2013 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"This program opened my eyes and helped me discover the meaning of music in my life. It helped me see a clear goal to my musical potential and gave me the natural tools to help me achieve this goal."- Participant, 2013 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"I have a wealth of new ideas to explore in my cello playing and teaching. I have become better friends with my body. I believe in myself more."- Participant, 2010 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"I have a great deal of information to take away with me. I feel prepared to independently take the next step towards growth. I love your patience, kind spirits and senses of humor. Thanks for making me feel at home."- Participant, 2010 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"I discovered a different approach to my body and its movements, its use of weight, and how to experiment with it. A positive and curious attitude."- Participant, 2010 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"Feldenkrais has opened a lot of doors for me in my playing. I have been shown a path in which I can constantly discover new things."- Participant, 2010 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"Tested what it feels like to just feel and it feels good!"- Participant, 2010 Feldenkrais for Musicians workshop

"This Class has allowed me to examine myself and my playing in ways I could not see before. It has given me new confidence in the way in which I am able to learn and progress. But most importantly it has given me confidence in myself. The Feldenkrais Method helps me realize that I can trust myself to become a better performer, better athlete, better all around human being. It has helped me become more in tune with this dance of life."

"Although I was interested n Feldenkrais because I felt that it would help me to reach my long-standing goal or becoming a better cellist, the benefits it has provided have been immeasurably more valuable. Yes, it has helped me to gain access to movement and body parts that I didn’t know existed, as I’ve already mentioned. Perhaps more importantly, however, it has helped me to gain access to corners of my mind that I didn’t know existed. Through Feldenkrais , I’ve discovered and developed a new system of learning - learning through exploring and playing."

"I find that Feldenkrais has not only helped me in the obvious physical ways, but has also effected the way that I approach problem-solving and addressing issues. The way that the ATM’s are structured--the systematic experimentation and breaking down of movements--has, I think, really started to influence the way that I approach (or try to approach) practicing and other tasks."

"I think one of the most valuable aspects of Feldenkrais that makes it so effective for me is that virtually everything that I have learned this semester about myself and how my bodyworks has been a sort of self-discovery."

"Studying the method has been a truly amazing journey. Not only has it given me new insights into playing the cello; it also has refined the way I think about everything."

"One of the most important things Feldenkrais has helped me to develop is a sense of curiosity. I have always been naturally inquisitive, but the realization that there are countless ways of achieving comfort, and that something can always be made more pleasurable makes me want to constantly look around and discover it."

I have had issues with pain in my hands due to playing the violin in the past, but this semester I have been pain-free. Something else that I attribute to my Feldenkrais experience is that I am now much more sure footed and centered ineveryday life."

"I would like to discuss the particular means by which Feldenkrais has been a transformational agent in my being. I have discovered that the key to my own benefit from Feldenkrais lies in simplicity of being. This realization (not in an academic sense, but in physical one)has enabled incredibly powerful changes to occur in my experience of my body."

"I had a great time in the masterclass and I have learned so much. I was surprised that it enabled me to find a way to deal with my stage fright. This was the best stage experience I have ever had!!! After the masterclass I watched the video and was surprised by my plying and my calmness"

"This class has probably been the most beneficial class that I have taken this semester. I’ve been able to use this class to help me to overcome some major health issues... While having the benefit of a more healthy, more easily functioning body would have been enough on its own, I cannot express the gratitude I have for the ways in which this class has helped my mental and spiritual state this semester. I am grateful to have had a classroom that I could enter without experiencing judgment either internally or externally."

"I am grateful for the patience that I have learned to have with myself, and I am grateful for finallygiving myself permission to be fully and unequivocally present from moment to moment so that I may find a path that is most true for myself without the clutter and contamination of fear, judgment and other negative outside information. This is the biggest and most impactful lesson that I will carry away from Feldenkrais -- to know that nothing more is required than to fully be myself; and to be okay with who that person is -- with who I am."

"After having taken the class, I have a broader view of my whole experience. Simple adjustments in the way I carry myself when I sit or stand suddenly open up a world of possibilities to the life and energy of whatever character I am playing."

"Perhaps the most influential result of class this semester has been the overall awareness I now have of my body. As an actor, I naturally think that I have absolute command of my body and how it moves... i find myself with immensely less back and neck pain."

"I have really enjoyed this class and feel that it has helped me with articulating and grounding my work. Two days ago in our acting class we performed the same monologues that we had performed on our first day, and I was so surprised how much the work by my fellow class mates improved. They used their entire instrument - Their body -- efficiently. The in-class work has been beneficial, insightful, and inspirational to me in my approach to acting and directing."

"I think what has finally licked with my method of performance is how much I tend to hold back as far as using my body in a play, monologue etc. It was very beneficial to see how much of an improvement a simple suggestion of allowing one’s body to feel more open and how it not only reveals more of yourself to an audience but also to yourself. It relaxes you and allows you to breathe and improve your whole outlook in a play. During the performance this past Monday, I had one of the most impactful moments of my young acting career when I took the time to simply breathe during a scene. It was mesmerizing how much more loose and calm I became. It allowed me the freedom to explore the scene’s limits, my partner’s limits, and my very own, which exponentially improved in every aspect."

"Watching Uri work with... helped to solidify what I have been working on myself -- not working too hard on making an impression and just simply being; surrendering myself to the scene or performance and not becoming robotic with performance at any time. it is something that i hope to continue to use in my career and this was a satisfying and promising final message to hear. "